Improving scientific impact: How to practice science that influences environmental policy and management

Fisher, Jonathan R. B.; Wood, Stephen A.; Bradford, Mark A.; Kelsey, T. Rodd

doi:10.1111/csp2.210

Cited by 26 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…By 'transdisciplinary', we mean research that has both interactions across disciplines and participation from relevant non-academic sectors of society. Further collaborative research prioritisation efforts with greater dialogue between academic scientists and management practitioners are required to co-formulate research questions and codevelop projects that demonstrate the application of seascape ecology (Cvitanovic et al 2016, Dey et al 2020, Fisher et al 2020.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seascape ecology: identifying research priorities for an emerging ocean sustainability science

Pittman

Yates

Bouchet

et al. 2021

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Seascape ecology, the marine-centric counterpart to landscape ecology, is rapidly emerging as an interdisciplinary and spatially explicit ecological science with relevance to marine management, biodiversity conservation, and restoration. While important progress in this field has been made in the past decade, there has been no coherent prioritisation of key research questions to help set the future research agenda for seascape ecology. We used a 2-stage modified Delphi method to solicit applied research questions from academic experts in seascape ecology and then asked respondents to identify priority questions across 9 interrelated research themes using 2 rounds of selection. We also invited senior management/conservation practitioners to prioritise the same research questions. Analyses highlighted congruence and discrepancies in perceived priorities for applied research. Themes related to both ecological concepts and management practice, and those identified as priorities include seascape change, seascape connectivity, spatial and temporal scale, ecosystem-based management, and emerging technologies and metrics. Highest-priority questions (upper tercile) received 50% agreement between respondent groups, and lowest priorities (lower tercile) received 58% agreement. Across all 3 priority tiers, 36 of the 55 questions were within a ±10% band of agreement. We present the most important applied research questions as determined by the proportion of votes received. For each theme, we provide a synthesis of the research challenges and the potential role of seascape ecology. These priority questions and themes serve as a roadmap for advancing applied seascape ecology during, and beyond, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seascape ecology: identifying research priorities for an emerging ocean sustainability science

Pittman

Yates

Bouchet

et al. 2021

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…For such an approach, we need to examine the individual threats to Indian Ocean humpback dolphins in more detail, especially their sources and any existing policy, followed by engagement with relevant stakeholders. We also recognise that increased awareness and education at various levels presents a vital part of conservation efforts for the species and that effective processes (e.g., Fisher et al, 2020) should be followed. In particular, increased engagement with government to declare Indian Ocean humpback dolphins a priority species for conservation should be pursued.…”

Section: Conclusion and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Science Alone Won’t Do It! South Africa’s Endangered Humpback Dolphins Sousa plumbea Face Complex Conservation Challenges

et al. 2021

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The Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) is “endangered” with likely less than 500 animals remaining in South African waters. Established in 2016, the SouSA Consortium is a formalised network of scientists and conservationists to combine knowledge and research efforts, and make coordinated decisions with the aim of conserving the species. The first collaborative project collated available photo-identification data in an attempt to refine a national population estimate and investigate movements between research sites. This work was able to identify 250 uniquely marked individuals, with the population divided into the south-coast (Agulhas bioregion) and east-coast (Natal bioregion) populations. Environmental factors almost certainly play a role in the declining numbers of the species in South African waters. However, individual threats and solutions are challenging to identify as the South African marine environment is undergoing significant natural and anthropogenic changes with major shifts in the distribution and numbers of some prey, competitor and predator species. Therefore, we believe that a continued investigation of potential contributing factors and their interaction will take too long, inevitably resulting in another case of documenting extinction. With this in mind, we present the results of a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis in an effort to help us identify the next steps to take toward the conservation of humpback dolphins in South African waters. We unanimously conclude that no single cause for the rapid decline of humpback dolphins in South African waters can be identified, and that the cumulative effects of multiple stressors, which are difficult to pinpoint and mitigate, are impacting population numbers. While highlighting the need for continued research, we suggest a shift toward more action-focused conservation efforts, the first concrete steps being the development of a Conservation Management Plan with input from other stakeholders.

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“…Courses in policy analysis can help to acquaint students with the wider context in which their technical expertise exists, and can illuminate avenues for achieving political change through the scientific enterprise. These settings can also identify barriers that policymakers face in applying scientific findings to address societal challenges [40,41] and potential strategies to overcome such obstacles.…”

Section: University Levelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Engaged Science: Strategies, Opportunities and Benefits

Keller

Limaye

2020

Sustainability

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Science is increasingly intertwined with an array of pressing societal issues, from the coronavirus pandemic response, to environmental concerns, to major national security threats. Meanwhile, scientists remain one of the most trusted groups of professionals and are looked to as both sources of inspiration for society’s collective curiosity and effective messengers of useful technical information. While traditional scientific training has not emphasized the skills needed to coherently translate nuanced scientific research to audiences beyond one’s inner academic circle, today’s scientists (and, prominently, scientists-in-training) are increasingly seeking out ways to engage with such broader audiences and apply their skills to real-world problems. Here, we offer engagement strategies for scientists across levels of scale (e.g., at the individual, lab group, department/university, and cross-institutional levels), highlighting both existing opportunities and areas where improved capacity for science engagement is warranted. We argue that efforts to enhance and harmonize engagement efforts will have multi-faceted benefits, with greater opportunities for science-society dialogues, enhanced equity and inclusivity in such dialogues, and broader professional opportunities for early career scientists. While we acknowledge that the development of effective scientific engagement skills requires interest, effort, time and resources, we argue that the development of skills for effective public engagement is a worthwhile and necessary element of scientific training that enables unique, rewarding, and multifaceted professional opportunities.

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Improving scientific impact: How to practice science that influences environmental policy and management

Cited by 26 publications

References 78 publications

Seascape ecology: identifying research priorities for an emerging ocean sustainability science

Seascape ecology: identifying research priorities for an emerging ocean sustainability science

Science Alone Won’t Do It! South Africa’s Endangered Humpback Dolphins Sousa plumbea Face Complex Conservation Challenges

Engaged Science: Strategies, Opportunities and Benefits

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